Page:Charles Lee Papers 1873 Vol 3.djvu/277

258 TIIE LEE PAPERS.

my's army to so great a distance from their baggage, and the body covering the baggage, would have had a much fairer opportunity of making their respective attacks, than if they had remained more compact : thus, if any thing is meant by finding the means of bringing on a general engagement, it was done, and in the most salutary manner, to the utmost extent of human possibility. We come now to the last supposition, viz, That the orders I received (which in fact is the truth, unless they had no meaning at all) were to annoy the enemy, strike a partial blow, but without risking any thing of great importance ; or, in other terms to act in a great measure discretionally.* And here I defy the most acute military critic of the world, to point out a more effectual method than what was pursued ; for, had we taken post on the hither or western margin of the first ravine, as General Wayne seems to think we ought to have done (and admitting that in this position our flanks could have been secure, which they certainly were not,) or on the margin of any of the other ravines in our rear, the last not excepted, if the last had been tenable, how could we possibly have annoyed the enemy, or struck a partial blow? The consequence could at most have been this, that we might have remained gazing on and cannonading each other for some time, and the moment they chose to retire, they could have done it at their leisure, and with impunity ; for, by all the rules of war, and what is more, by all the rules of common sense, we could not have ventured to pursue them, because we should have put, if not impracticable, at least very dangerous, defiles in our rear ; and if they had turned back upon us, we should have been effectually in their power, unless we could have insured victory to ourselves with very unequal numbers ; but, by drawing them over all the ravines, they were as much in our* It must be remarked, that disobedience to discretionary orders is, prima facie, a glaring absurdity ; it is an impossibility ; and yet it has been endeavoured to prove me guilty of this impossibility.